Schmalix Residence

A new 2,400sf residence and 1,100sf artist studio nestled into a hilly half acre of native wilderness.

The project is a linear composition of three elements: A north-facing saw-tooth roof identifies the studio. A carved-out corner of a downward-arching roof marks the beginning of the sequence into the living quarters. A carport roof bridges between the above two elements and preserves the view from the street through to the canyon below.

On the lower level, the kitchen, dining, and living areas tuck under the arching roof and the carport. Against a board formed concrete retaining wall, the hallway narrows and widens, activated by the alternating bedrooms and baths which slide free under the rectilinear mass of the studio above.

This project is a study in the transiency and permanence of materials and in the interplay of dynamic movement against an armature of modular components.